Re: Hypothetical PVW 23 trade

Originally Posted by soonami

100% true. Commercial retailers must buy from a distributor and only distributors that have registered in their state. If owned a liquor store in NJ, I couldn't bypass my state's distributor of VW and place an order with the cheaper NY distributor.

Definitely a local law, if true. In PA and in fact many stores in DE and NJ, will accept for returns any unopened bottles of alcohol.

Right...also in Illinois you can return unopened bottles of alcohol from the store you bought, if that is the store's policy. I know that Binny's allows this but expect other stores here may not. And of course the first part that soonami states is absolutely true based on three tier. Though back in the day, I came across a few independent store operators that were willing to sell me items they certainly didn't acquire from a distributor and more like somebody's basement. Of course I turned them down .

Re: Hypothetical PVW 23 trade

In Massachusetts, most liquor stores will accept returns of unopened bottles, within reason. Most bottles these days have a decent tamper-proof seal.

I'm sure they can refuse a return (bringing back that bottle of 25-year-old scotch because the wife didn't approve probably won't work unless you have a long and well-established relationship with the store).

Catering and party hosting depends on buying extra bottles for back-up and returning them, though this usually involves commodity type stock (bottom- and mid-shelf bottles). Stores I've used for this won't take back wine or beer if chilled.

I'm also sure that even with three-tier system, stock has occasionally appeared in stores that didn't come through the official distribution channel.